Hypnotized -- The Two Black Crows -- October 11, 2026

listal.com

Halloween is coming. I like to watch a few scary movies during the month of October. Hypnotized scared the heck out of me. 

George Moran and Charles Mack performed in blackface as The Two Black Crows. They were successful in vaudeville, records and radio. They were not successful in movies. 

Educational Pictures signed the act to do a feature and a series of short films. Comedy pioneer Mack Sennett directed.  Sono Art-World Wide Pictures, famous for its logo, released the film. I came across Hypnotized, which I had read about years ago, on YouTube.

Moran (the little guy) and Mack (the big guy) work as the crew for a low-grade circus owned by Charlie Murray. Marjorie Beebe, also in blackface, appeared as a maid. Wallace Ford and Maria Alba were performers. She was supposed to be Hungarian, but she spoke with her usual Spanish accent.

Maria Alba -- listal.com

The scenes in the circus are disjointed, but Wallace Ford, who loves Maria Alba, finds out that he holds a winning ticket in a sweepstake but has to go to London to collect. The whole circus, which is leaking money, winds up on the ocean liner with him. Moran appears to disappear at that point. I never noticed him on the ship.

A crooked hypnotist, played by Ernest Torrence has hypnotized both Mack and Ford. He wants the sweepstake money. All sorts of hard to follow things happen. 

This was a terrible movie, and not just because of the blackface. I suspect that there was supposed to more to the movie than they shot or released. 

To add insult to injury, the next thing that came up on YouTube was the cut-down two-reel version. It omitted the circus scenes entirely, so Moran did not appear at all. It was more disjointed than the feature.

Eddie Cantor -- See Him Dance and Hear Him Sing in the "Phonofilms" -- December 21, 2024

Minneapolis Journal, 19-December-1924

Eddie Cantor was a wildly talented performer on stage, screen, records, radio and television. He appeared in a one-reel De Forest Phonofilm reel. He often appeared in blackface. Please excuse the racism. 

Century Comedies -- Consistently Good -- February 29, 2024

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Baby Peggy Montgomery had been Century's biggest comedy star. She moved on to starring in features for Universal and Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures. Captain January was based on a book by Laura E Richards. Shirley Temple starred in another adaption. 

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

I hope the kids at New York's Hebrew Orphan Asylum enjoyed Baby Peggy's first feature, The Darling of New York. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Century carried on with other comedy series. "A Barrel of Real Fun!"

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Al Herman had just finished directing his thirtieth Century comedy for the Stern Brothers. 

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Giant Jack Earle starred with Harry McCoy in Century's "Keep Going." Robert Kerr directed. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Young Buddy Messinger starred in "Quit Kidding," directed by Al Herman.

Motion Picture News, 09-February-1924

Century Studio was at 6100 Sunset Boulevard, which is now a parking lot. At the corner of North Gower, it was near what is now Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. 

Film Daily, 11-February-1924

I know almost nothing about Sherwood MacDonald and I know even less about Butterfly Comedies. I think this is the only time I have seen the word "filmbrand."

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Christie Comedies: "Fast and Funny." "The Best Bet for a Balanced Program." "In the Front Line of Laughmakers." Lots of tag lines. 

Motion Picture News, 16-February-1924

Please excuse the racism. Jimmie Adams seems to have done a lot of blackface. William Beaudine directed "Aggravating Papa." 

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Christie Comedies are "Crammed With Laughs and Action." Dorothy Devore was a popular Christie star. Scott Sidney directed "Stay Single." 

Film Daily, 25-February-1924

Film Daily, 08-February-1924

Al Christie was planning to make feature-length comedies."  

Film Daily, 25-February-1924

Dorothy Devore and Walter Hiers were going to star in the first Christie feature, Hold Your Breath. 

Motion Picture News, 23-February-1924

Film Daily, 08-February-1924

Camera, 02-February-1924

The Christie Studio was at 6101 Sunset at Gower. There is nothing remarkable there now. 

"America" Will Open in N.Y. Feb. 21 -- January 9, 2024

Motion Picture News, 19-January-1924

DW Griffith's epic of the American Revolutionary War, America, was scheduled to open in New York City on 21-February-1924. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) were strong supporters of the movie. 

Film Daily, 28-January-1924

Some of us will remember that in 1923, Al Jolson signed a contract to star in a movie produced by DW Griffith. Jolson got cold feet and broke the contract. Albert L Grey was DW Griffith's brother, who worked on many of his films.

Comic Lloyd Hamilton replaced Jolson in the movie that was made, "His Darker Self." I love Lloyd Hamilton, but the movie is revolting. I will write more about it in the coming months.

The Duncan Sisters -- July 30, 2023

San Francisco Examiner, 01-August-1923

Rosetta and Vivian Duncan were experienced vaudeville performers. In 1923 they started to tour in a musical comedy, Topsy and Eva, based on the characters from Uncle Tom's Cabin. Rosetta played Topsy in blackface. Vivian, playing Eva, served as the straight person. In 1927, they starred in a movie adaption. Please excuse the racism.

DW Griffith -- Jolson's Desertion -- July 8, 2023

Film Daily, 09-July-1923

Last month we saw that director DW Griffith wanted to make a movie with Al Jolson who was well-known for performing in blackface. Jolson jumped ship after work started on Black Magic. There was talk of a lawsuit. I have also seen the film referred to as Mammy's Boy. 

Sources say that the same script was eventually produced by someone else as "His Darker Self" with Lloyd Hamilton. I have seen that movie and cannot picture it as a Griffith film. 

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1923

I have never seen The White Rose, which was shot on locations in the south. Mae Marsh had worked with Griffith since the Biograph. Ivor Novello was born in Wales. He was a playwright, a composer and singer. Someone called him "a minor league Noel Coward." Carol Dempster, Griffith's protégé, also played a leading role. 

Film Daily, 08-July-1923

After Jolson bailed out, Griffith was working on his historical epic, America. I suspect I will be writing quite a lot about that movie.

DW Griffith -- One Exciting Night -- February 9, 2023

Motion Picture News, 03-February-1923

100 years ago this month, DW Griffith was heavily promoting his latest masterpiece, One Exciting Night. Please excuse the racism in this ad. I assume it supposed to represent Porter Strong, who played Romeo Washington. Strong was a white guy who frequently played in blackface.

Motion Picture News, 10-February-1923

In Minneapolis, "the crowds packed every inch of space in the house, jammed the lobby and milled around in the streets." I think the ad displays Carol Dempster and Porter Strong.

Motion Picture News, 17-February-1923

This four-page spread must have cost Griffith and/or United Artists, a pot of money. 

Motion Picture News, 24-February-1923

Mr Ruben of Finkelstein and Ruben Theatrical Enterprises in Minneapolis/Saint Paul called One Exciting Night one of the sixth best pictures he had ever seen.

Who Could Think of Ducks With Chickens Around -- September 25, 2020

 

Motion Picture World, 25-September-1920

In his wonderful book The Silent Clowns, Walter Kerr suggested that Lloyd Hamilton was one of the great silent comics whose reputation has diminished. This is because many of the solo movies Hamilton made for Educational during the 1920s are lost. Perhaps this is also because he was not able to succeed as a star in feature films.

Please excuse the blackface.